The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-08-31

l I0b eQlp Uu WHICH tucy edlleQ
from San Francisco cast anchor In Panama
Bay. Capt. Hancock went ashore and got
an Eastern paper which he read aloud in
the ships cabin. Among the over-anxious
passep gers who could not resist their i'm
patience but stood behind Mr.. Hancock,
epdeavoriDg 10 read beyond him, was an
elderly lady whom We did not know. FL
nally, she an1iously inquired: DO you
see anything in THAI paper, sir, about my
son? Pray tell me, and relieve my anx.
iety.' In 1espopse Mr.. Hancock begged
that she would inform him who her son
was. She answered, Gen. B. +. Butler.'
After search, the announcement came that
he was SAFE"
ADEsERvED PROMOTION.
Capt. Hancock made all haste to the
Capitol, which he enormously fancied TO
be almost within the grasp of the Confed
crates.
HE arrived in Washington with the de-
termination of not remaining upon Gen.
Anderson's staff as Quartermaster, should
the Secretary of War still intend that as
sienment, believing that he could serve
with more distinction and efficiency in
the volunteer service, than in the regular
army in that capacity. Gen. Mcclellan,
however, that great soldier, so often mis-
represented and misjudged. soon heard of
nv husbands arrival in Washington and
sent bis chief of staff, Gen Marcy. to him,
requesting that he would remain quietly in
the hotel (WillaId's) until such time as
be, Gen. Mcclellan, would be able to talk
with him upon the subjectof his promo
ton to a BiTgadier- Generally. The Gen.
eral expressed his intention to recommend
Mr.. Hancock for this grade, and to make
his request to President Lincoln
without delay. At
10 o'clock in the evening of the
day of our arrival Mr.. Hancock received
summons from General Mcclellan request
ing an interview, which lasted until the
early hours of the morning. In the inter-
val the air was filed with martial sounds,
and the tramp of soldiers bewildered me
with the apprehension and uncertainty
that this new situation naturally produced.
One of the minor disquietudes OF that
memorable night was my effort to keep at
bay two large rats that we're running riot
shout the room, and were only driven off
the bed by missiles in the shape of shoes,
brushes, combs, etc. My husbands return
with most satisfactory recital of his pro.
longed deliberations, and his prompt
ejectment of my unwelcome visitors, made
a peaceful ending TO most uneasy night.
General Hancock was assigned to General
Bsldy Smiths division (Sumuer's corps).
and assumed command of his brigade,
then stationed in front of the Chain Bridge
road, near Lewinsville."
HANCOCK AND GRANT.
After the New Orleans episode Gen.
| Hancock reported to Gen. Grant, who sent
him to Dakota. The biographer writes:
Never by word or by action did he
| Hancock forget to recognize Gen. Grant
as his superior officer or to do HIM justice
| in every way. he would even refuse to
listen to any one attempting to depreciate
| the qualities that made Gen. Grant sue
CO sstul commsuder. He fully realized
| that he possessed them, and believed that
| he was en- instrument selected by Provi-
| depce to carry out this great work, which
| enabled him TO succeed in controlling pub
| lie opinion and sympathies in not few iu-
stances committing righteous wrong Historl-
| cal facts in evidence will sustain me in this
| declaration, Neither can 1t be denied that
| General Grant betrayed feelings of hostility
| towards General Hancock, which, in his
| position, he was fully able to crafty. An
| instance of this kind, in which 1 can
frankly ssy that he was not upon this one
occasion) upheld by the press of the coun-
| Try, wss the sending of my husband, then
| q Major-General, to Dakota, appointing
him 10 a command without consideration
/ of his legitimate rank In the United States
service. OF this treatment General Hau-
| cock complained with reason, and consid-
cradle discussion on the subject TOOK place
at the time. 1t is gratifying TO consider that
| General Grants Memoirs make ample,
4 tate, dLuCuQb ny buC NOIy nhuOSOu1c
and just mention Of General Hancock's
service"
The exciting Presidential campaign of
| 1876 was the only one, Mrs. Hancock tells
Us, that her husband followed with intense
interest and anxiety, not even excepting
| that in which he was himself a nominee
| of the Democratic party. This was four
years later. Formal announcement Of his
| nomination was made 10 him on July IL,
1880; but, "where congratulations and re-
ioicing were to hsve reigned q stiffness OF
| death pervaded the ceremony" for on the
morning of that day the General had lost
| his grandson and namesake. The cam
| psien was a severe ordeal to the veteran
soldier, ard seriously impaired his health.
| An interesting account Is given OF his re-
| caption OF the news of his defeat:
At CAN STAND IT."
sat Z O'Clock P M, on the day or the
| election, he yielded to the extreme weari-
| ness and pTostrat on that ensued from his
five months labors and went to bed, beg.
| ging me under no circumstances to disturb
him, as the result would be known sooner
or later, and tomorrow would be time
enough. at 5 o'clock on the following
morning he inquired of me the news. L
replied, 1t has been a complete Waterloo
for you That is all right said he; Il
can stand it, and in another moment he
was again asleep. An extraordi-
naIily balanced temperament, it
then occurred to me, as often be-
fore, one that was never quite compre-
ben6ed by his superiors, or, indeed, by
those who were the nearest to him. The
only disappointment that he gave express
sion to was the difference that his defeat
would make in the future of many OF his
| friends who had suffered long and in var
ious ways in consequence of their adher.
ence to his cause. His popularity aud
strength before the people could not be-
concealed, for the successful candidate re-
ceived a plurality of only 7,01S out Of q
popular vote of 8 600, 000."
| On March g. 1875, Gen. Hancock lost
rs only daughter, Ada, and on July Ii,
| $50, his grandson and namesske. In the
spring of 1888 Mrs. Hancock's mother died (;
and the Generals only son, Russell, fol-
lowed shortly after her, leaving young
wife and three children. Gen. Hancock
| was seen for the last time in his official
capacity commanding the pagenaut that
escorted the remains OF Gen. Grant to their
| final resting place, Riverside Park, New
York. His own death and Gen. McClel-
lan's followed not long afterwards. bis
| widow has found some distraction in pre-.
| pairing these "Reminiscences" for the press.
| The IwOrk is now completed aud she is
resting at Narragansett Pier. The book is
| in one large volume, illustrated, and pub
4 liehed hv euhkcrinti0n.